TAM 2

The next night, Mo Yao had the same dream again.

He was still a cat standing on the rooftop. At first, he stood there without moving. After a long time, he realized that he would not immediately wake up, so he started walking forward.

This time, he had some experience. He extended his paws carefully and tried to grip the roof tiles. He took each step cautiously so he would not fall.

While he moved, he looking down at his feet. He saw that he was a gray-and-white cat, plump and well-fed. The fur on his legs was dirty and slightly dark, but it was still soft and fluffy.

He walked until he reached the edge of the roof. He leaned in and looked down. The height frightened him, and he did not dare to jump. How had those two cats jumped down last night?

Mo Yao lifted his head and saw his dormitory building. The window of his room was dark.

He suddenly thought, since it was a dream, why could he not jump?

Dreams were strange and without logic. If he could be a cat, then why could he not fly? Mo Yao felt a sudden impulse.

Mo Yao crouched on all fours. His body slightly leaned back. Just as he was about to jump, he heard a sound.

He turned around and saw two other cats jump onto the tiled roof, moving toward him.

The two cats came one after another. They looked very much like the two he had seen the night before. At first, they moved slowly, but halfway across, they suddenly sped up and almost threw themselves at him.

Before Mo Yao understood what was happening, the cat in front pounced and knocked him off the roof.

The dream ended again in the sensation of falling.

It felt as if he had fallen from the sky onto a soft bed. When he opened his eyes, he saw the white mosquito net around him, and nothing else.

If it had been the first time, Mo Yao would have only thought it strange. But now that it had happened twice, he felt disturbed.

He rolled up his book, held it in his hand, and walked on the road leading to the Classroom 7.

It was almost time for class. There were not many students on the road. A few girls hurried past him.

This was a general course for the entire grade. Mo Yao arrived late. The teacher had already set up the slides on the podium. The lecture hall was full, and only a few empty seats remained in the middle. To reach them, he would have to ask others to stand up and let him pass.

Wu Jingyan, sitting in the fourth row, turned and waved her hand at him.

Mo Yao walked along the side aisle toward the front and saw that the seat on the outer end of the fourth row was occupied by Wu Jingyan’s close friend, Li Yahan. There was an empty seat between the two girls.

When Li Yahan saw Mo Yao, she stood up to let him through.

Mo Yao said a quiet thank you. He squeezed past her and was about to sit when Wu Jingyan pulled his arm.

She had already stood up. She pointed to her left, where there was another empty seat.

Mo Yao had no choice but to move inside. When he sat down, he asked Wu Jingyan, “Is someone coming?”

Wu Jingyan nodded. There was a small, secretive smile on her lips.

Mo Yao placed his book on the desk.

Wu Jingyan reached out, pressed on the cover, and flattened the rolled-up pages.

Mo Yao looked at her and said nothing.

Wu Jingyan was not his girlfriend. They had gotten closer during the second semester of their freshman year. It was Wu Jingyan who had approached him. She sat next to him in class, saved him a seat during evening study, and sometimes asked him to walk around the track with her afterward. People in their class had assumed they were dating.

At first, Mo Yao thought she wanted to pursue him. He was uncertain. He did not feel any special affection for her. But at that age, when a decent girl showed interest, it seemed worth trying to get to know her.

After a few meetings, Mo Yao realized that Wu Jingyan had no such intention. As she put it, she liked him but only as a good friend. Mo Yao slowly figured out what kind of “good friend” she meant. She asked him to carry heavy things, to fix her computer, and at the start of the semester, she even had him pick her up at the station. In return, she saved him seats in class, joined him for walks after study hours, and sometimes treated him to meals after he helped her.

Sometimes, Mo Yao felt that this kind of relationship was pointless. But when he thought about it more, there was nothing bad about it. He was not in a hurry to find a girlfriend. If he treated Wu Jingyan as a slightly troublesome friend, it was acceptable.

The teacher on the podium picked up his water cup, signaling that class was about to begin.

Wu Jingyan lowered her head, quickly typed a message on her phone, then turned and waved her hand.

Mo Yao followed her gaze and saw Si Yuan walking down the aisle from the back of the lecture hall.

Si Yuan wore a black short-sleeved T-shirt and black pants. His hair was too long, the fringe almost covering his eyes. He reached their row and stood quietly by the aisle. Li Yahan, who sat at the outer end, stood up and let him pass.

Mo Yao watched Si Yuan take the empty seat between Wu Jingyan and Li Yahan.

Wu Jingyan pulled a book from her drawer and placed it on Si Yuan’s desk with a smile. “Thank you.”

Si Yuan only nodded and said nothing.

The class began.

The old lecture hall had no air conditioner, only ceiling fans. With so many students, the air was heavy and hot. Mo Yao tugged at his collar, letting a bit of air pass through. The heat on his chest eased slightly.

During class, Wu Jingyan listened attentively. She held her pen in her right hand and took notes in her book.

Mo Yao listened for a while, but his thoughts drifted to the dreams and the cat.

During the break, Mo Yao lay face-down on the desk and pretended to be asleep. He heard Wu Jingyan say to Si Yuan, “I saw you the day before yesterday on Commercial Street.”

Mo Yao was listening, but Si Yuan did not answer. Mo Yao guessed that he must have only nodded. That was how Si Yuan usually was.

The lecture lasted the whole afternoon. When it finally ended, it was dinner time.

Si Yuan had only one book. He picked it up and was ready to leave, but Li Yahan, who sat on the outside, was still packing her things, so he had to wait.

Wu Jingyan looked up and said to him, “Want to go to the cafeteria together?”

Si Yuan did not look at her. He only said, “I have something to do.” Then, when Li Yahan stood up, he walked out quickly.

Both Wu Jingyan and Li Yahan stood where they were, watching his back as he headed toward the door.

“Why didn’t you stop him for a bit longer?” Wu Jingyan suddenly said in frustration.

Li Yahan looked nervous. “I was afraid he’d get annoyed.”

“You didn’t talk to him during class either. I went to all this trouble to give you a chance.”

Li Yahan said nothing. She lowered her head and grabbed her bag.

Wu Jingyan turned to Mo Yao. “Let’s go eat.”

Mo Yao answered, “I’m skipping. I’m on a diet.”